Fudging the Rules
I've been thinking of a system that lets me as the GM keep an RPG very simple, but still lets the players have the freedom to enjoy the complexity of the rules. I'm thinking of D&D5 here, but it would hopefully apply to any RPG I happen to run.
In a combat scene, I might have a big boss monster, a few mooks, and the environment itself. All these elements can move around, attack, get hurt, and potentially be killed or incapacitated. If I can simplify the management of all these elements then I think I can run a more interesting encounter.
So first off, I wanted to have a single number that defines the 'difficulty' of the overall encounter, and any element of it. So in a class 6 encounter, the armour class of all the enemies is sixteen (base 10 + 6), the DC of any special abilities is fourteen (base 8 + 6), any attacks do six damage, and it takes six hits from the party to defeat the encounter. If an element of the encounter has to make a skill check, saving throw, or attack roll, I decide on the spot if they get their bonus (+6) or not. Nearly everything that can fight will get its bonus on attack rolls, anything that grabs will get its bonus to grapple, anything that seems nimble will get its bonus on dexterity saving throws, and so on.
If the encounter is against a single monster, then I can think of it as a 'six hit dice' monster. Instead of rolling its six hit dice to find out how many hit points it has, I just wait until it has taken six hits, and then say it's dead. If a PC deals double the monster's hit dice in one hit, then I'll call that two hits, and so on. If it's a group of monsters, then it can be a six hit dice encounter, and after six hits, each of which seems to take down a member of the group, I'll say they have defeated them.
I'm coming up on the final session of my online D&D5 game that I've been running for about a year, and I want to use this system for the final encounter. There's a single main enemy, a sorcerer. He has a minion, a dragon-lion hybrid. I was going to use lair actions and legendary actions as well, but I might simplify that as well. I'll still have something happen on initiative count twenty, something that the environment does. I'll have attacks from the minion, a spell from the sorcerer, and then an extra action from the sorcerer. Since the PCs are level 13, I can make this a level 13 encounter, although there are only three of them so I think I'll make it level twelve.
So the sorcerer and minion will have +12 to hit, AC 22, and their abilities will have DC 20. The minion makes three attacks, two claws and one bite, at +12 to hit and dealing 1d12+12 damage. The lair will have an electrical attack, that requires a dexterity saving throw, DC 20, and deals 1d12 lighting damage, or half that if the saving throw succeeds. The sorcerer mainly casts wind and thunder based spells, if they allow a saving throw the DC will be 20, if there is an attack roll it's at +12. If a PC hits either the minion or the sorcerer, they knock off one of its twelve hit dice. If a hit deals twenty four damage or more, then it knocks off two hit dice. After twelve hits on the pair, they are defeated.
If the last hit is against the sorcerer, I'll say that he dies, and that frees the minion. If the last hit is against the minion then it dies, and the sorcerer turns to flee. An attack of opportunity will then hopefully finish him off.
If this system lets me run the encounter with less problems, and the players don't have any problems with it, then I'll consider it a success. Maybe then I can start using it in all my sessions.
In a combat scene, I might have a big boss monster, a few mooks, and the environment itself. All these elements can move around, attack, get hurt, and potentially be killed or incapacitated. If I can simplify the management of all these elements then I think I can run a more interesting encounter.
So first off, I wanted to have a single number that defines the 'difficulty' of the overall encounter, and any element of it. So in a class 6 encounter, the armour class of all the enemies is sixteen (base 10 + 6), the DC of any special abilities is fourteen (base 8 + 6), any attacks do six damage, and it takes six hits from the party to defeat the encounter. If an element of the encounter has to make a skill check, saving throw, or attack roll, I decide on the spot if they get their bonus (+6) or not. Nearly everything that can fight will get its bonus on attack rolls, anything that grabs will get its bonus to grapple, anything that seems nimble will get its bonus on dexterity saving throws, and so on.
If the encounter is against a single monster, then I can think of it as a 'six hit dice' monster. Instead of rolling its six hit dice to find out how many hit points it has, I just wait until it has taken six hits, and then say it's dead. If a PC deals double the monster's hit dice in one hit, then I'll call that two hits, and so on. If it's a group of monsters, then it can be a six hit dice encounter, and after six hits, each of which seems to take down a member of the group, I'll say they have defeated them.
I'm coming up on the final session of my online D&D5 game that I've been running for about a year, and I want to use this system for the final encounter. There's a single main enemy, a sorcerer. He has a minion, a dragon-lion hybrid. I was going to use lair actions and legendary actions as well, but I might simplify that as well. I'll still have something happen on initiative count twenty, something that the environment does. I'll have attacks from the minion, a spell from the sorcerer, and then an extra action from the sorcerer. Since the PCs are level 13, I can make this a level 13 encounter, although there are only three of them so I think I'll make it level twelve.
So the sorcerer and minion will have +12 to hit, AC 22, and their abilities will have DC 20. The minion makes three attacks, two claws and one bite, at +12 to hit and dealing 1d12+12 damage. The lair will have an electrical attack, that requires a dexterity saving throw, DC 20, and deals 1d12 lighting damage, or half that if the saving throw succeeds. The sorcerer mainly casts wind and thunder based spells, if they allow a saving throw the DC will be 20, if there is an attack roll it's at +12. If a PC hits either the minion or the sorcerer, they knock off one of its twelve hit dice. If a hit deals twenty four damage or more, then it knocks off two hit dice. After twelve hits on the pair, they are defeated.
If the last hit is against the sorcerer, I'll say that he dies, and that frees the minion. If the last hit is against the minion then it dies, and the sorcerer turns to flee. An attack of opportunity will then hopefully finish him off.
If this system lets me run the encounter with less problems, and the players don't have any problems with it, then I'll consider it a success. Maybe then I can start using it in all my sessions.
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